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Athlete of the Week
Cadin Koeppel, Cary-Grove, Jr., 195 pounds
Koeppel took second place at the Whitewater Mid-States Classic last week in Wisconsin, the only local wrestler to reach the tournament’s finals. Koeppel got through his first two bouts with pins, then beat the No. 7-ranked wrestler in Class 2A in a semifinal, and eventually lost in the final to the No. 3 195-pounder in 3A. Koeppel is 19-4 and ranked as an honorable mention in 3A.
Power Rankings
1. Huntley (11-6, 4-0 Fox Valley Conference): The Red Raiders finished a strong winter break by taking 10th at the 31-team Granite City William ‘Red’ Schmitt Holiday tournament. Huntley was the fourth-highest placing team from Illinois. Josh Stenger led Huntley, reaching the third-place match at 120 pounds, finishing fourth after losing an overtime decision. Stenger had five pins in the tournament. Also for Huntley, Juan Quiroz (160) placed fifth, Sammy Spencer (106) was seventh, Luke Loprieno (138) took seventh and Zach Spencer (126) finished eighth. The Red Raiders remain ranked as an honorable mention in 3A.
2. Crystal Lake Central (7-2, 5-0 FVC): The Tigers had the week off from competition, but remain ranked second in 2A. They return to action Thursday with an FVC dual against Dundee-Crown.
3. Jacobs (9-3, 3-2 FVC): The Golden Eagles’ only action over the past week was a nonconference quad at Grant. The Golden Eagles are ranked as an honorable mention team in 3A and return to conference wrestling Thursday, hosting Prairie Ridge.
4. McHenry (11-6, 3-2 FVC): The Warriors didn’t wrestle this week, but return to competition Thursday with a big FVC dual when they face Huntley.
5. Marengo (7-1): The Indians finished 13th out of 23 teams at the Lincoln Tournament, with four placers, including two finalists. Joe Mier won the title at 170, getting three falls along the way and winning the final in overtime. Landen Pfeiffer made the final at 106 before losing to the No. 2-ranked 106-pounder in 2A and finishing as runner-up. James Mier took third at 195, and O’Neil Swanson placed eighth at 120. Marengo fell one spot to No. 17 in the 2A team rankings.
Noteworthy
Chargers' Pin King: Dundee-Crown heavyweight Isaiah Ziegler put together one of the more impressive tournament runs of the season last week at the Whitewater Mid-States Classic. After winning his opening match and then losing in the second round, Ziegler won six consecutive consolation matches to come back and place third at 285 in the 42-team tournament. Even more impressive, Ziegler got all seven of his wins in the tournament by fall. The third-place match was a bit of redemption for Ziegler, as he pinned Wauconda's Michael Turzynski, the same opponent who had beaten him by a 6-2 decision in the second round of the tournament.
Event to watch
McHenry at Huntley, 6:30 p.m. Thursday
This will be a good measuring stick for each team. Huntley has started the season undefeated in conference duals and is coming off strong showings in a pair of competitive winter-break tournaments, but McHenry could provide a tough test for the Red Raiders. The Warriors, who have started the season well and have plenty of top-end talent, will be looking to see how they stack up to Huntley, which is both talented at the top and one of the deepest teams around. A matchup to watch could be at 126, where Lucas Busse vs. Zach Spencer would be a meeting of 3A state qualifiers from a year ago. This one also could feature three of the area’s best freshmen – Huntley’s Sammy Spencer and David Ferrante and McHenry’s Jaden Glauser.